Baseball retreival apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for supporting a tethered baseball in position for batting practice and automatically retrieving the ball after it has been hit with a bat, which includes an adjustable height stand, a fishing reel, and a variable speed motor connected thereto. Tethered by a small gauge fishing line which is attached to the reel, the ball, prior to its being hit, rests atop the adjustable strand. When the ball is hit, the line is released nearly effortlessly from the reel; and the ball is allowed to travel virtually unobstructed during its flight. When the ball has traveled its full distance, the batter, by pushing a switch with a foot pedal, starts the motor, causing the reel to rewind the line. A control on the switch allows the batter, to vary the speed of the motor from fast when the ball is at a distance to slow when the ball approaches the batter.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for improving the skilland strength of a baseball batter using a tethered baseball. In theprior art, such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,024,657;5,795,250; 5,662,537: 5,419,790; 4,647,942; 3,994,494, and 3,953,028.Each of these prior art devices only allows the struck ball to travelrelatively short distance. There is a need for an apparatus which allowsa batter to hit a ball that can travel a long distance and still betethered for ease of retrieval.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Summary of the Invention

The object of this invention is to provide for training a baseballplayer by furnishing an a apparatus that will automatically retrieve abaseball after it has been hit by a bat. This allows one person topractice batting without having to spent time retrieving the ball aftereach hit. Unlike the prior art this allows for close to free travel ofthe baseball.

The apparatus is comprises a fishing reel or equivalent, a fishing linereleasable from the reel, a baseball tethered to the line and a variablespeed motor. Activated by a foot controlled switch, the variable speedis employed to rewind the reel. To further assist the batter, theapparatus has an adjustable height ball holder.

In use, the batter hits the ball; and it travels nearly freely travel ofthis ball until it reaches the end of its travel. Then the useractivates the foot switch to start the retrieval. Preferably, when theball is far from the apparatus, one runs the motor at a high rate ofspeed and then slows it down as the ball approaches the reel. A net alsoprovided to catch the retrieved ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view of the ball retrieval apparatusaccording to the present invention, with the ball resting on theapparatus ready for batting, the bat and batter being shown in dashedlines for illustrative purposes only and not being part of theapparatus:

FIG. 2 is a close up right side perspective view of the apparatusaccording to FIG. 1, with the adjustable height ball holder being fullyretracted and the catch net and the catch net and its posts beingdisposed in their respective stored positions;

FIG. 3 is a elevational view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1:

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1but with the catch net removed for ease of illustration;

FIG. 5 is a is a rear elevational view of the apparatus according toFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a closeup view of a fragment of the apparatus according toFIG. 1, the upper housing having been removed and showing the motormounted within the lower housing and the reel connected thereto;

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are closeup views of the reel attached to the gear boxin the apparatus according to FIG. 1, with the gear box housing coveredand uncovered respectively;

FIG. 9 is closeup view of a fragment of the apparatus according to FIG.1, showing portion of the drive motor with its gear box removed;

FIG. 10 is a close view of a fragment of the apparatus according to FIG.1 showing the battery holder with the batteries removed;

FIG. 11 is close up view of a fragment of the apparatus according toFIG. 1, showing the ball and is attachment to the line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings, an improved apparatus for helping with batting practiceis indicated generally by the reference numerical 10. The apparatus 10has a support structure comprising a weighted foot 11, a telescopic leg12, a lower housing 13, a upper housing 14 and the ball support 15. Mostof the weight of the apparatus 10, which, by way of example, weightsabout 30 pounds, resides in the foot 11. The telescopic leg 12preferably allows for the apparatus to extend upwardly from its fullyretracted position about 16 inches 24 to 40 inches. Not only is theheight of leg 12 adjustable so that the ball 25 can be placed throughouta batter's individual strike zone, which in the preferred, embodiment isfrom 24 to 40 inches, but also the apparatus 10 can be positioned so asto simulate both inside and outside “pitches” for a particular batter.

The upper housing 14 is streamlined in shape to minimize the likelihoodof the batter inadvertently hitting the apparatus 10 instead of the ball25.

The lower housing 13 holds a reel 16 with a spool for holding a fishingline 17. The distal end of the line 17 is attached to the baseball 25. Amotor 18 having a drive train 19 is attached to the reel 16. When themotor 18 is activated, the line 17 is rewound on the reel 16. In thepreferred embodiment, the motor 18 is battery powered by batteries 21mounted in a holder 22.

In use, the ball 25 rests initially on the support 15 atop of the upperhousing 14. The holder 15 is fabricated from a flexible hose that isslip fitted a hole on the upper housing 14. In the prototype the holderwas made from a 3 inch long section of a 1½ inch automobile radiatorhose.

After the ball 25 resting on the support 15 has been hit by the bat 40,the ball 25 then travels with little restraint from the line 17 when itleaves the reel 16. As a consequence, the batting practice afforded bythe apparatus 10 simulates the “real game”. The ball 25 is retrieved byactivation of the variable speed control 26 for the motor 18. In thepreferred embodiment, the control 26 is a foot pedal switch.

When the ball 25 is a long distance from the user, a high speed can beused, then the speed is preferably reduced as the ball approaches acatch net 27 supported by post 28 mounted on the foot 11. When not inuse the net 27 is stored in a pouch 24 secured to the leg 12 with astrap 23 (FIGS. 2-4).

For the prototype a battery powered drill, Black & Decker Versa PackModel VP870, Type 1, was taken apart and used for the motor 18, drivetrain 19, control 26, battery holder 22, and battery 21. The Reel 16 inthis embodiment is a modified fishing reel model 808 made by Zebco. Thisreel 16 has the release button 30 trimmed to fit inside the upperhousing 14. The button 30 can e be activated outside the upper housing14 with the use of the plug 31 slidably fit into a hole in the upperhousing. The reel 16 also had its standard rewind handle removed and theshaft 29 of this handle was directly attached to the motor gears 19 asshown in FIG. 8. The preferred embodiment has similar parts which areavailable from many sources, Structure elements of the prototype weremade from steel, but aluminum or plastic could also have been used.

1. An apparatus for supporting a tethered baseball in position forbatting practice and retrieving the baseball after it has been hit witha bat, comprising: (a) a hollow structure and a ball support for holdingthe baseball, the ball support being connected to and disposed atop thehollow structure; (b) a modified fishing reel having a line attachedthereto, the end of the line distal from the reel being attached to thebaseball, the reel being housed in the hollow structure; in use, whenthe baseball, immediately prior to being hit by the bat, is held by theball support, said end of the line extending generally downwardly fromthe baseball; (c) a motor for rewinding the line onto the reel, themotor being connected to the reel; and (d) means for activating themotor so as to retrieve the baseball.
 2. The apparatus according toclaim 1, which further comprises a switch for controlling the speed ofthe motor, so that the motor can be run at a faster speed when thebaseball is far from the reel and at a slower speed when the baseball isclose to the reel.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, which furthercomprises a foot pedal for activating the switch.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the hollow structure includes an upperhousing from which the ball support extends upwardly, the upper housingbeing streamlined in shape and generally resembling a football, so thatcontact between a bat and the hollow structure can be minimized duringthe batting practice.
 5. A batting improvement apparatus comprising: (a)a tethered baseball; (b) means for supporting the baseball and adjustingthe height at which the baseball is supported prior to being hit; c)means, including a small gauge line attached to the baseball whichallows the baseball virtually free travel when struck, for automaticallyretrieving the baseball each time after the baseball has been hit; and(d) the end of the line attached to the baseball stretching generallydownwardly therefrom immediately prior to the baseball being hit in use.6. An apparatus comprising: (a) a tethered ball; (b) means forsupporting the ball and adjusting the height at which the ball issupported prior to being hit; (c) means, including a small gauge lineattached to the ball which allows the ball virtually free travel whenstruck, for automatically retrieving the ball each time after the ballhas been hit; and (d) the end of the line attached to the ballstretching generally downwardly therefrom immediately prior to the ballbeing hit in use.